Stand Firm in the City — An Urban & Inner-City Mission Conference

Ferguson, Baltimore, Oakland. Poverty, crime, hopelessness and turmoil run rampant in many of America’s major cities. There is a need for strong communities and families, quality education and health care, jobs, trust and reconciliation. But what is needed most is the Gospel.

The 2015 Urban & Inner-City Mission Conference, which will be held October 12-14 on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary (CTSFW), Fort Wayne, Ind., will take a look at ways the church can bring Christ’s love and mercy to America’s greatest mission fields.

Participants will hear from a variety of speakers, including:

Dr. Robert Lupton, a community developer in inner-city Atlanta and author of Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It).

Sanya Parson, director of Rebecca’s Garden of Hope, an LCMS Recognized Service Organization that uses tutoring and mentoring to help struggling churches and schools break down the cultural and spiritual divide among children and families in their communities.

Jonathan Moody, managing director of PovertyCure, a global network of nearly 400 partner organizations focused on seeing individuals and communities thrive both throughout the United States and around the world.

Bethany Yeiser, an author and motivational speaker with a passion to educate and inspire change in the way schizophrenia and homelessness are perceived and treated.

“We will have a great group of speakers as well as discussion time to wrestle with the church’s place in our cities,” said the Rev. Steven Schave, director of LCMS Urban & Inner-City Mission. “Come and join us to discuss the future of urban mission in a rapidly changing diverse landscape.”

The conference will include a banquet on Oct. 13, when Schave will speak on the future of urban ministry in the LCMS.

The registration deadline is Oct. 5. For those wishing to attend the banquet, the conference registration fee is $85 for individuals or $25 for seminary students. For seminary students who will not be attending the banquet, registration is free.